Running gear assembly



Aug. 3l, 1937.`

ll. H. JUDD RUNNING GEAR ASSEMBLY Original Filed .June 3.

1935 sheets-.sheet 1" l nifl r I.. lll

ATTORNEYS Aug. 3l, 1937. l. H. JUDD 2,091,406

y RUNNING GEAR ASSEMBLY Original Filed June 3, 1935 2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 F IG.6.

w /A L /N VENTbR ATTORNEYS Aindented Aug; 31, 1937 PATENT OFFICE RUNNING GEAR ASSEMBLY Irving H. Judd, Dearborn, Mich., assigner. to

Whitehead & Kales Company,'River Rouge, Mich., a corporation of Michigan original application June s, 1935, serial No. 24,738. Divided and this application April 20,

1936, Serial No. 75,480

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to running gear assemblies for vehicles\such as trailers or seniltrailers having an over-all width of eight feet, and constitutes a division of my application filed June 3, 1935, bearing Serial No. 24,738.

One of the essential objectsof the invention is to provide tandem wheel running gear of the type mentioned which permits a supporting deck for automobiles, merchandise or other cargo to be l0 carried close to the ground, so that the over-all height of the vehicle will be at a minimum and the loading and unloading thereof will be easier. Another object is to provide a running gear that permits the deck aforesaid to be carried between the tandem wheels at opposite sides of the vehicle without the latter exceeding the statutory width of eight feet,

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more a t as thisdescription proceeds, especially wh n considered in connection with the accom- Darwin!! drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traileriiaving a running gearembodying my invention, showing a fragmentary elevation ofa truck supporting the forward end of the trailer, and showing by dotted lines the positions of automobiles when loaded upon said trailer;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the runninggear and associated parts;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially ontlreline3--3ofFigure 1;

Figure .4 is a sectionalview taken substantially on the line I-I of Figure3 and showing parts broken away; l

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a slight modiiicatlon;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the construction illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure "l is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a two-deck four-car carrying trailer provided at its forward end with a stepped portion I for attachment to a power driven vehicle such as a truck B, and,

provided at its rear end with ground-engaging v mit loading of automobiles upon ,or unloading of automobiles from the lower deck 3. Asshown by dotted lines in Figure 1, two automobiles such as C and D, respectively, may be loaded in the position indicated upon the lower deck 3, while two automobiles E and F, respectively, may be load- 5 ed upon the upper deck Il.

Preferably the ground-engaging wheels 2jare mounted upon stub axles 6 projecting laterally outwardly from walking beams 'l plvoted intermediate theirl ends upon a transversely extend-v` 10 ing non-rotatable axle 8 disposed beneath the\Il arched portion 3`of the lower deck and suspended by semi-elliptical leaf springs 9 from suitable sills 3d which carry the lower deck 3. Preferably the axle 8 has a tubular central section I0 and end i5 pieces II, the latter fitting tightly upon and welded to said section I Il as illustrated in Figure 3. The springs 3 extend through these end Pieces I I upon the inner sides of the walking beams 1 and have lower and upper sections I2 and I3, respectively bolted together midway of their ends. The o lower sections l2 constitute the main springs while the upper sections I3 constitute the auxiliary springs. As shown, the end pieces II are cored out as at I4 to save weight and have reduced spindle-like end portions I5 upon which the hubs I6 of the walking beams are journaled. Intermediate these spindle-like portions I5 and the tubular central section I0, the end pieces l I have inverted substantially U-shaped portions Il that receive the springs 9. Clamps I8 are bolted in recesses I3 in the depending legs 20 of' the U-shaped portions and cooperate with said U- shaped portions to form box-like openings 2| for the springs. Preferably the depending legs 20 35 of the U-shaped portions are provided at their lower ends with inturned portions 22 that not only strengthen the structure but also serve as shields for and protectthe clamps I 8 against being struck by objects in the road.

The lower sections I2 oi' the springs are pivoted at their forward ends on pins 23/carried by suitable brackets 24 fixed to' slightly arched auxiliary sills 3, and are slidably mounted at their rear ends in-brackets 26 also fastened to the arched auxiliary sills 3. The upper sections I3 of the springs are shorter than the lower sections I2 and have their opposite ends bearing against suitable brackets 21 xed to the arched auxiliary sills 3. To eliminate any shearing action on the spring center bolts 9 which would be caused by-the pulling action of the spring. leaves, especially the main leaves 9b andleaVes thereabove up to the c@ washers 9, I have. formed each of the leaves of the spring 9 '55 downwardly opening cup-like centers 9e which fit snugly in one another as shown and take up the pulling action referred to. In this connection it will be noted that the cup-like centers 9 of the uppermost leaves of the springs t snugly within the cup washers 9 and that the latter are piloted within the portions Il of the end pieces Il. Thus, in use the main leaves 9b of .the main springs which receive the pins 23 are in effect radius rods to keep the tandem wheels in alignment. Actually the pull is through these main leaves 9b and thereafter through each of the cup-like centers Se, successively through all the leaves of the auxiliary springs i3 up to the cup washers 9c piloted within the portions' l1 of the end pieces l-I.

Thus, in my construction, the springs extend through the end pieces of the transversely extending non-rotating axle, and the latter is beneath the lower deck as well as below the axes of the ground-engaging wheels of the trailer. As a resuit, the lower deck of the trailer is much lower to the ground than heretofore. Actually the clearance between the ground and the horizontal portions 32 and 3b of the lower deck is only eightand three-fourthsinches, consequently the loading and unloading of such deck is easier and theover-all height of the trailer is at a minimum.

In Figures to '7, inclusive, I have illustrated a slight modification in which both ends' of the leaf springs 9x are slidably mounted in the supporting brackets 24x and 26X, and radius rods 40 are employed. As shown, the radius rods 40 are mounted at their rear ends upon pins 4| carried by forward projections 42 of the end pieces H of the axle 8 and are provided at their forward ends with threaded portions 43 that engage threaded openings 44 in brackets A45 swiveled upon pins 46 which in turn are carried bybrackets 41 rigid with the undersides of the auxiliary sills 3e. Both the pins 4I and 46 are removable so that adjustments may be made. For instance, the pins 46 at the forward ends of the rods 40 may be removed so that the brackets 45 may be turned about the threaded portions 44 of the rods and then re-assembled with the brackets 41, or the pins 4l may be removed so that the rods 40 may be turned in the brackets 45. Inasmuch as the rods 40 are threaded in the brackets 45 and the latter` are swiveled on the transversely cxtending pins 46, it will be apparent that universal joints have been provided which will compensate for free movement without subjecting the rods to torsional strains. If such threaded connections were eliminated, there would be torsional action in the radius rods'caused, for example, from a shifting of the trailer load deflecting the springs more on one side than on the other of the trailer. Moreover, the threaded connections referred to permit an easy adjustment to square up the axle and running gear of the trailer.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a vehicle running gear assembly, a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending sills, an automobile carrying deck between and secured f to said sills, a transversely extending non-rotatable axle below said sills andl having axially aligned end pieces and an intermediate section,

lsaid end pieces having spindle-like portions and provided between said portions and the adjacent ends of said intermediate section with box-like openings, walking beams rockably mounted on said spindle-like portions and provided at oppoin said end pieces and terminally secured to said vsills beside the walking beams.

2. In a vehicle running gear assembly, a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending sills, a transversely extending non-rotatable axle below said sills and having axially aligned end pieces and an intermediate section, said end pieces having spindle-like portions and provided between said portions and the adjacent ends of said intermediate section with box-like openings, walking beams rockably mounted on .said spindle-like portions beside said sills and provided at opposite ends thereof with spindles for ground-engaging wheels, an automobile carrying deckcarried by said sills between said walking beams, and means for yieldabiy suspending said axle from said sills including leaf springs extending through the box-like openings in said end pieces and terminally secured to said sills beside the walking beams.

3. In a vehicle running gear assembly, a pair of laterally spaced-longitudinally extending sills, a transversely extending non-rotatable axle below said sills in spaced relation thereto and having axially aligned separately formed end pieces provided at their outer ends with spindle-like portions and provided at the inner ends of said spindle-like portions with box-like openings, walking beams rockably mounted on said spindle-like portions upon the outer sides of said sills and provided at their opposite ends with spindles for ground-engaging Wheels, and means for yieldabiy suspending-the axle from the sills including leaf springs extending through the box-like openings in said end pieces and terminally connected to said sills.

4. A running gear assembly for a vehicle having a deck, walking beams at opposite sides of said deck and provided at their opposite ends with spindles, and ground-engaging wheels on said spindles, comprising a transversely extending axle beneath said deck, the length of said axle being less than the width of said deck, spring-carrying brackets fastened to opposite ends of said axle and provided beyond opposite sides of the deck with laterally projecting spindle-like portions for supporting said walking beams, and means for yieldably suspending said axle from said ydeck including springs fastened to said brackets between the axle and spindle-like portions aforesaid.

5. In a running gear assembly, an axle, springcarrying brackets fastened to opposite ends of said axle and provided in substantially axial alignment with saidaxle with laterally projecting spindlelike portions, walking beams rockably mounted on said spindle-like portions and provided at their with spindles for ground-engaging wheels, and.

leaf springs fastened intermediate their ends to said castings between the axle and spindle-like portions of said castings.

:,oamoo 3 7. In a running gear assembly for avehiele havintermediate their ends to said brackets between ing a frame, a transversely extending axle beneath and substantially in axial alignment with the axle said frame, spring-carrying brackets fastened to and spindle-like portions of said brackets, and opposite ends of said axle and provided beyond supporting brackets engaging said leaf springs at opposite sides of said frame in substantially axial opposite ends thereof and attachable to the ve- 5 alignment with said axle with laterally projecthicle frame. ing spindle-like portions, leaf springs fastened IRVING H. JUDD. 

